Get Schooled

By Maria

March 11, 2005 08:18 AM | Link to this

Our local high school has added FA for next year’s freshmen. FA will include a REQUIRED course on study skills, computer usage, and career exploration, which means that students can choose only one elective. To get two electives, students must skip geography and PE in 9th grade. I researched FA and feel that it is aimed at underachieving students. The incoming freshmen at our area school have a significant population of high achievers who already have the skills that will be taught in the FA course. Yet ALL students are being forced to take this course. High-achieving students should be able to exempt the FA course and take courses they need for graduation. This is a waste of their time.

By Leezia

March 11, 2005 08:40 AM | Link to this

Another example of dumbing down so that everybody can meet ever lower expectations.

Genius points: If the Northeastern states are always at the top of every measure of school success, why haven’t the Southern states figured out that the Northeastern model works? Duh! No need to reinvent the wheel—-copy the model that’s proven to work time and time again.

There sure are some dumb people running schools around here.

By Cliff Mozelle

March 11, 2005 09:39 AM | Link to this

Don’t do it. Just sequester the dumb kids into their own babysitting area. Then the other kids wil be able to move forward at a quicker pace since the lameOs aren’t holding the whole class back. The truth hurts, but life isn’t fair. The strong survive. The schools aren’t there to raise the community’s children.

By chuck

March 11, 2005 12:13 PM | Link to this

I don’t have a problem with the FA concept in and of itself, but I think it should be optional for students who were successful in middle school. Students who failed a class or had a low overall gpa in middle school should lose some freedoms, but those who are already exhibiting the kinds of behaviors that make one successful should not be penalized along with those who took middle school off.

By Brian

March 11, 2005 02:53 PM | Link to this

I do not like the concept of the freshman academy. This concept to me seems like it is preparing the students for a college like atmosphere. I have many complaints about the one that is in place at the high school I am employed. I think the kids need to have mmore structure rather than working at their own pace.

By Leezia

March 11, 2005 03:30 PM | Link to this

I sure hope Brian isn’t a teacher.

By Angie

March 11, 2005 03:34 PM | Link to this

How like Georgia to continue to cater to the students who are holding the others back. It is part of the fabric of middle school for all students to be in all the same classes. It continues to be a very useful tool to separate the achievers from the ones who do not. This fabric should not exist in high school. The point of 9th thru 12th grades is to ready an individual student for life. Whether that life involves higher education or not. This freshman academy crap is communism. Everyone is not the same. They should not be treated as such. Some students are gifted intellectually…some are not. Its life. If a student’s recorded ability shows that they are going above and beyond the call, then I believe thier classes in high school should reflect that. Dumbing the system down is going to kill our children. It has already started to. Weed out the ones who need that extra push. Don’t waste time, energy and money trying to better a student who has already surpassed this particular plateau.

By COnnie

March 11, 2005 03:43 PM | Link to this

I am SO happy that my daughter graduated high school in 2000 and successfully graduated one of the top colleges in the country last May.

WHY do we continue to “dumb down” our schools and then wonder why students need remedial classes in college?

By Beverly

March 11, 2005 04:43 PM | Link to this

My son is a student in Tennessee where the freshman academy was implemented just this year. The purpose of this program is to make sure that the students have made the transition to high school fairly well as so many of them may likely drop out later. All of the classes are centralized in an area where upper classman do not mingle. His school actually has its own principal for 9th grade. This school has the best test scores in the county. I am not sure about this program having a work at your own pace like was mentioned in earlier e-mails. I am very happy with this program and other high schools have come to this school to take a look at what is being done. The principal mentioned at a recent PTA meeting that the freshman academy is very successful at this school. I urge other parents to speak to their administrators about implementing this type of program in a school where he or she has a student.

By Valerie

March 14, 2005 10:08 AM | Link to this

I agree with Beverly. I teach mostly 9th graders and I believe that they need to be separated from the upper classmen in order for them to make the transition into high school easier. They don’t have the maturity they need going into 9th grade like the beginning 10th graders do.

By Gwynne Bolton

March 14, 2005 11:03 AM | Link to this

Freshmen Academyies works! Ninth graders whether in need of remedial or advanced are too immature to mix well with seniors. Given a year to acclimate to high school facilitates success academically and socially.

By Rolonda

March 14, 2005 11:05 AM | Link to this

I come from a school in California where it wasn’t called FA but because of school population the ninth graders were not only sequestered but we were in a totally different location than the upper level students. We comingled with them when needed be but for the most part it gently eased us into the high school experience. I honestly liked it and thought it was beneficial. But, we had AP level classes and students who were going to trig classes so no one was held back waiting on those that take a little longer to catch up. I think school systems got it wrong instead of offering remedial classes for some of the students as not to “label” them they end up changing ALL the classes to remedial classes and we can not compete because we don’t want to hurt a small populations feelings. Put the ones that need it in remedial classes and learn at their pace and let everyone else learn at their own pace as well. No student left behind HA! Instead of some students being left behind now we’re holding all students behind! Politicians are THEY sequestered from the whole world?

By Maria

March 14, 2005 11:48 AM | Link to this

I don’t necessarily object to the sequestering of the 9th grade students,even though it sounds like coddling to me. I object to the COURSE that is connected with the Freshman Academy. At our local high school, students will have to take a year of computer usage, study skills, and a little career exploration — WHETHER THEY NEED IT OR NOT. My child can design websites, has a 4.0 GPA, and obviously knows how to use her time and organize her studies. THE MAJORITY of the other kids coming in have these skills, too, YET ALL THE KIDS MUST TAKE THIS CLASS AS PART OF FRESHMAN ACADEMY. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO WASTE AN ENTIRE YEAR IN WHAT IS CLEARLY A REMEDIAL CLASS IN HOW TO BE A GOOD STUDENT?

By Rolonda

March 14, 2005 11:53 AM | Link to this

Yeah I don’t agree with that either. Like I said give the children that need it that type of attentionb ecause there are some that do. But, allow students that do not need it to learn what they are able to acheive and not dumb them down so that they are sitting there bored, and getting into mischeif because they are not being challenged. Idle minds are the devil’s workshop.

By Kathy

March 14, 2005 01:09 PM | Link to this

I have a very motivated, high-achieving daughter who will be in 9th grade in the fall. In 7th grade she had a teacher tell her, “You will love high school, because you can enroll in honors classes and get away from these yahoos that are holding you back.” It is probably necessary, even helpful, for high schools to offer remedial programs for the freshmen who couldn’t or wouldn’t excell in middle school, but I would be livid if I thought my child was going to have to endure a “study skills” course when she is already performing at a level that would indicate mastery of study skills.

By Jen

March 14, 2005 04:26 PM | Link to this

The school I teach at implemented the Freshman Academy this year and the majority of the freshmen are sequestered in the school’s trailer park of about 25 trailers. However, the honors and gifted students are not taking classes in the “learning cottages.” These students are taking advanced classes in the main building since they have already proven they have what it takes to be successful on a high school level. The people that pointed out that advanced children do not need a FA are correct. I teach 9th grade honors and gifted students and they are wonderful! They are moving at their own pace and are not being held back by the socially promoted or learning challenged. Also, for the parent complaining that her child had to take the study skills class; “Be the squeaky wheel!â€? The school system CAN NOT require your child to take that class. It is an elective, not something required by the state for graduation and I think your reaction is correct and you should outraged that the school is trying to hold your child back rather than advance him/her. For example, our county “requires” 9th graders to take geography, however it is not required by the state for graduation with a college prep diploma. If a parent does not want his/her child to take geography, the school will not force a child to take it and the child can take something that is required. The only reason our county requires it is to give students another academic elective since most electives are for 10th grade and up and also to assist them in completing freshmen year successfully. You should definitely get together with other parents of high achievers and have the school offer an alternative to the “freshman life skill” class. I am sure you are not the only parent upset about this issue.

By Stephanie

March 14, 2005 04:33 PM | Link to this

I teach mostly 9th graders now. My honors class has some very immature students in it. As my remedial class has some mature students. I suggest having a study skills course for those students who need it. For honors level student the students should be allowed to exempt study skills but should be placed in other maturing level courses. I feel a Freshman Academy is needed at my school because our freshman account for more than half of our disciplinary problems. These problems stem from immaturity. However, I have juniors who do the same things also.

By BB

March 15, 2005 11:30 AM | Link to this

Don’t penalize my kids because other parents don’t value education and produce slackers. My son’s success is partially due to the influence, social relationships, academic challenge, and interaction with motivated and aspiring upperclassmen. You will see more aggresive behavior on the part of parents and some increase in flight to private schools (leaving the pool in the government school even dumber) if this idea picks up momentum.

By webster

March 15, 2005 03:23 PM | Link to this

I too have a 4.0 student who must take the “computers/study skills/careers course” during her freshman year of high school — but I see advantages for her. It could work as a type of study hall, particularly if it includes computer/library access, so she could knock out some homework and research for her other classes, which will be very challenging. The kids also simply need more time during the school day when they are not under great pressure. A student’s typical day is like listening to seven 50-minute monologues with only 25 minutes for a lunch break.

Only 1 semester of PE is required for graduation, so most kids don’t exercise or get outside for 90% of their high school experience. School hours have been lengthened; more courses required; and there’s much, much more testing. It’s no wonder there are behavior problems in classes ..particularly 9th grade classes of all academic levels.

By Maria

March 16, 2005 09:11 AM | Link to this

DeKalb students must have TWO PE credits to graduate. Because of the FA course, my child had to drop PE and geography — a semester each — to create space for another elective, Spanish. That PE will have to be made up before she graduates and will probably interfere with her junior or senior schedule when she is ready to take AP classes.